The Devil You Know
by Blue Obsidian Butterfly
Summary: and the fallen angel you never thought you would see again.


**Disclaimer: Oh the things I could do if POI belonged to me...*sigh***

 **Three things you need to know before reading this:**

 **One: this is my first Person of Interest fanfic.**

 **Two: Although I know roughly what happens in season 4 I haven't seen it yet.**

 **Three: This is set sometime in the future so I guess it could be considered AU/non cannon.**

The devil you know and the fallen angel you never thought you would see again.

Shaw paced back and forth across the subway platform, muscles tensed under her uniform of a black tank top and dark skinny jeans, pony tail swinging from side to side, a deep scowl on her face and a glare hot enough to melt metal as she silently fumed. Well perhaps pacing isn't the right word Root muses as she watches the shorter woman. Muscles poised, steps that still manage to be precise despite her obvious anger she _stalks_ , elegant and dangerous like a predator. A predator that will rip you limb from limb if you so much as look at her the wrong way (well ok, she would shoot you but Root likes her own version better.)

Shaw had been back three days now, rescued from the cell she was being held in by a well placed strike to Samaritan's defences wherein Reese and herself conveniently forgot the kneecap rule and, for once Finch didn't mind. She had been restless ever since, never staying in the same place for more than twenty minutes at a time. Getting her to talk about what went on during her capture was like getting a brick wall to answer questions, pulling teeth would be easier. Root hadn't left her side much to her annoyance but, and she could only admit this in the safety of her own mind, she was afraid that if she looked away for even a second when she turned back her Sameen would disappear.

Not that Shaw was hers, similar to a wild animal she belonged to no-one but Root liked to think that one day, when the war was over they could have their someday. It gave her something to hold onto when reality set in and the hopelessness of their cause became apparent. In the mean time she was content to watch her, occasionally teasing though she had been keeping it to a minimum. Except when it came to the kiss, to her delight she discovered that teasing Shaw about that brought about the closest thing to embarrassment she had seen from her. She thought she had Shaw down to a science but once again she had been proven wrong and well, it sort of made her day. Not that she was going to admit it to the former assassin.

"You're going to wear a path in the ground if you keep that up" Reese commented, coming out of the subway car where Finch had been briefing him about their latest number. Shaw didn't slow down, sparing him a glare over her shoulder. He stood a moment longer watching her and Root wondered if, in his own way he was worried about Shaw but finding out meant asking him and pulling apart his answer which required her to look away and that wasn't going to happen. He soon left, leaving herself and Shaw alone on the platform once again.

She could hear a quiet hum and the tapping of computer keys coming from the car which she would usually find comforting but right now there was only one thing that could do that and she didn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Root sighed, sitting down on the bench. The movement drew Bear from the inside of the subway car where Finch had probably been petting him and, after looking in her direction he trotted over to Shaw. As soon as she saw him her scowl disappeared and she stopped, leaning down to rub behind his ears. An irrational flash of jealousy caught Root off guard before she shoved it back down. Now was not the time to be jealous of her affections towards the dog but she loathed to, even in her own mind admit just how much she wished Sam would look at her like that.

"Have you finished pacing yet Miss Shaw?" Harold asked, appearing in the doorway of the car. Like with Reese Shaw glared at him, the look communicating more than words could. It was a look that said _do not approach unless willing to lose a limb_. It went quite well with her wild animal analogy though it left the question: if Shaw is indeed a predator how does one win her affections?

"I have something to show you" he continued, either oblivious to Shaw's look or braver than she gave him credit for. Shaw tensed and for a moment Root wondered if she was going to pull her gun but she followed Finch into the car, Bear trailing behind her. Root followed, wondering if she was included in this show-and-tell, then after a moment she decided that she didn't care. The inside of the car was bright with the artificial light of the screens, something Root was used to and it only took a second for her eyes to adjust. Shaw blinked owlishly and she wondered, not for the first time what conditions she had been held in. Had she been in total darkness?

"This," Finch said, breaking her out of her thoughts, "Is the feed from a security camera I have been monitoring since the tip from Detective Fusco. Two hours ago the program I had been running alerted me to a person, matching Martine's build and description entering the area. She's still there." He tapped a few keys and the image appeared on screen. It was low quality but there was no mistaking the figure: it was definitely Martine. Immediately Shaw's eyes narrowed, focusing on the image as if she could shoot her simply by looking. It amused Root and worried her at the same time. It's the biggest reaction she had seen from her since the initial moment when they found her and she realised that she was being rescued. She supposed it was a good thing, though not for Martine. There was no mistaking the look on Shaw's face: she was a predator hunting her prey. An involuntary shiver ran down Root's spine as she wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of that look under different, more pleasurable circumstances.

"I need you two to monitor her, see what she's doing. Use the shadow map and please, stay out of sight" the last part was directed at Shaw and her eyes slowly slid from the screen to Harold. He swallowed shifting uncomfortably, pinned by her gaze.

"Let me make one thing clear" she said, her voice low and menacing. It sent a jolt of arousal though Root despite the danger it presented and she wondered if she should get in-between them. It would probably result in injury, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing so long as Shaw was the one to inflict it.

"As far as I'm concerned it's open season on Martine" she didn't give him time to answer as she stormed out and Root heard the faint clicking of a high calibre weapon being cocked moments later.

"Miss Groves, please do something" Harold said, urgency lacing his voice. She nodded, taking one last look at the address before she walked out. Shaw was sitting on the bench, cleaning out the inside of a sniper rifle quickly and efficiently, muttering about how Reese 'never does it right.' She took a moment to assess her before approaching. Her body language screamed _stay away from me_ but Root never did get the hang of that. She's drawn to the former (not for much longer if things keep going in this direction) assassin though she couldn't explain why. Perhaps it was the way in which the woman did everything to avoid caring and -on pain of death- _feeling_ yet her actions spoke volumes as to what kind of person she really is. Whatever it was Root had been drawn in, caught up inside her web and honestly, it was her favourite place to be.

"Sweetie" she said gently as she approached. She had meant to stay out of Shaw's immediate reach but her body had other ideas and she found herself sitting next to her, barely a millimetre of space between them. Shaw's movements paused, tension radiating off her in waves as she appeared to be making up her mind whether or not she wanted to shoot the hacker.

"Yes?" she replied eventually, her voice giving no clue to her thoughts. Root was used to this and had learnt to pick up the subtle cues Shaw couldn't hide which, in this instance was the slight downturn of the corners of her lips which didn't match her usual scowl indicating she was unhappy about something (though happy was a relative term to begin with when it came to Shaw.)

"As much as watching you march out there to hunt down Martine would amuse me we still need her. I promise you can have your fun later" her tone is flirty at the end, dripping with innuendo that, any other time would have earned her an eye-roll, one of her favourite re-actions.

"Hunt?" Shaw questions and Root stills, not realising she had said part of her fantasy aloud but it was too late to take it back now.

"Do you have a better word for it?" She asks teasingly and for a second she sees something in Shaw's face, an echo of the Sameen she knows, the woman she may just be in love with. It disappears almost as soon as it had come, taking the thought with it.

"I actually kind of like it" Root's heart skipped a beat despite the closed off, cautious way in which Sameen had spoken, almost as if she was slowly feeling out their relationship, getting used to it again. Root would wait, for as long as it took. Unfortunately time wasn't something they had a lot of and she was struck by the sudden urge to take Sam and disappear, forgetting about machines and numbers to live out the rest of their someday together. It was the first time since finding her God she had thought such a thing and part of her felt guilty but a larger part-the one that thought Sam was gone for good rejoiced with the idea.

"Good" she whispers, eyes downcast. She can feel Shaw watching her but unexpectedly it doesn't hold the same appeal. She felt open, exposed like her gaze was stripping her bare leaving her vulnerable. Every one of her nerves burned under Shaw's stare as she studied her intently.

"Root, look at me" Her voice is rough but it's the gentlest Root has ever heard her speak and her eyes are seeking Shaw out before her brain can process it. Their gaze locks and Root is pinned, caught up in deep, rich brown eyes. The look is back, the one Root recognises but this time it has a name:

Hope

It sets her on fire and she launches herself at Shaw, pressing their lips together in an almost bruising kiss, finishing what Sameen started before she sacrificed herself. There are tears falling down her face but she doesn't notice, too caught up in the fire raging through her body as Sam kisses her back, drinking her in as if she needed her to live and Root's drowning, lost in the feeling of _them_. She clutches as Shaw, pulling her impossibly closer as strong arms circle her, dragging her further onto Sam's lap. One of them moans as tongues dance together and if the world ended right now she wouldn't care, content to stay here forever. The need for air becomes too great and they pull apart but stay as close together as they can. This is it, Root knows she's ruined for anyone else.

"Sam" she breaths.

"What are you doing to me Root?" she whispers back and Root is giddy, drunk on happiness, on Sam, Sam who is _hers_ because now she knows.

In her own way, as much as she is capable Sameen Shaw loves her back.

And Root is never letting her go.


End file.
